Over the past several years the formerly rural and idyllic surroundings of the Casa do Pontal Museum have changed dramatically. Aggressive real estate development has had catastrophic effects resulting in a series of devastating floods. In April 2019, following another disastrous flood that seriously put the entire collection at risk, we launched a successful crowdfunding campaign to temporarily recover and reopen the existing museum.

However, even prior to this most recent flood we had already recognized that the long-term damage was too significant and that our only solution was to relocate. Fortunately a new site in the Barra district of Rio de Janeiro was donated by the city and a dynamic design was developed. Now approximately 70 % of construction is complete. However, the recent ever-more dangerous series of floods brings a new urgency to completing the project.

To this end the goal of our new crowdfunding campaign is to raise funds to finalize the new building definitively saving the largest collection of popular folk art in Brazil. A collection that comprises more than 9,000 works from 20 Brazilian states by almost 300 artists. Following the disastrous fire of the Brazilian National Museum in September 2018 and our own perilous flooding, we absolutely cannot run the risk of losing another important Brazilian museum. We must save this unique collection. It is urgent!

Our new campaign aims to mobilize all those passionate about popular folk art and culture in Brazil to come together and support finalizing the new Pontal Museum.

Today the largest collection of popular art in Brazil is under threat. Let’s join together to ensure we preserve the largest collection of Brazilian popular folk art for future generations!

#savethepontalmuseum

What is the Pontal Museum?

The Casa do Pontal Museum is the largest popular folk art museum in Brazil and is responsible for the preservation and public presentation of a collection of over 9,000 sculptures. There are four thousand works on permanent exhibition and more than five thousand in storage. The collection has been viewed by more than 3 million visitors at the current site and has been seen by thousands at over 60 exhibitions held in Brazil and internationally in recent years. In 2018, we reached an annual attendance record of 190,000 visitors.

The collection, deemed a protected cultural resource by the municipal government of Rio de Janeiro, comprises works by approximately 300 Brazilian artists, all produced in the 20th century. The Museum has received various excellence awards such as the Rodrigo Melo Franco Award (IPHAN, 1996) and the Order of Cultural Merit (Federal Government, 2005). The Pontal Museum has also the largest collection of work by the popular master folk artist known as Mestre Vitalino and plays a vital role in the preservation of Brazilian folk art for future generations.

According to members of the International Museum Council (ICOM), associated with UNESCO, “The Casa do Pontal Museum is not just a complete museum of Brazilian popular folk art, it can be considered as a true anthropological museum, unique in the country in that it allows a comprehensive view of Brazilian popular life and culture.”

The works narrate Brazilian history from the perspective of popular culture and value fundamental everyday characters in the life of the country. In the Pontal collection visitors can see depicted vivid narratives of simple customs, habits, and everyday practices created by popular folk artists from the outskirts of large cities and towns, farms, and villages of the vast interior of Brazil.

Throughout its 40-year history, the Casa do Pontal Museum has endeavored to protect and disseminate its collection. The Educational and Social Program, created more than 20 years ago, has already served 500,000 participants. The Museum understands education as one of its main purposes. Theatrical school visits, seminars, and educational materials seek to encourage students, educators, and the general public to understand the complexity and aesthetic richness of popular folk art and challenge the stereotypes that have historically determined this field.

The New Pontal Museum

The new building project is a significant challenge, particularly the question of how to respect the museum’s history and context yet also point toward the future?

In the new space with architecture by Arquitetos Associados – award-winning Minas Gerais based architects responsible for the Burle Marx Educational and Cultural Center at Inhotim – the spirit of the original Casa de Pontal house has been maintained, privileging the dialogue between architecture, nature and the museum’s collection of more 9,000 sculptures. On the 14,000 m² site, the landscaping, a project of the Burle Marx Studio, will be one of the Museum’s main features. Tropical species vital to the original Casa de Pontal environment will continue to be part of the museum experience with new specially designed landscapes being added such caatinga – a type of desert vegetation and ecoregion of the same name in Brazil’s Northeast.

Featuring exposed concrete, steel and wood, the future museum will offer a series of open and enclosed spaces. A large green area with works of art will invite visitors to relax and contemplate the surrounding landscape: if the previous location celebrated the Pedra Branca massif as part of the view, the new museum site can boast the Pedra da Gávea as part of its vista.

The current size of the museum will be maintained. The 2,500 m² site will comprise permanent exhibition galleries, multipurpose areas, art storage, and administrative offices. There will also be a restaurant with balcony designed for a 180º view of the region.

Location

The new site of the Casa do Pontal Museum will be in central district of Barra da Tijuca, 4.5 km from Cidades das Artes, 5 km from Barrashopping and 7 km from Barra beach. Vitally, this location offers a more accessible transport network that together with the new architectural project and an expanded cultural program, we believe positions the Casa do Pontal Museum to become one of the main tourist and leisure destinations of Rio de Janeiro.

What to do now?

The campaign to finish the new headquarters started last year and has already guaranteed its resumption. Now there is a lack of R$ 1 million. It is still a lot and it will take a lot of effort to reach the necessary total.

The campaign has already received important support from companies such as Itaú (R$ 700 thousand) and Vale (R$ 800 thousand), as well as from people (R$ 200 thousand) who understood the importance of finishing the new headquarters of the Museu do Pontal. The Museum will also enter directly with R$ 850 thousand.

With the resources already captured, the roof, the windows, the floor and the hydraulic, electrical, security, data and voice installations will be installed.

Now we are looking for resources for parking, gardens, urbanization of access and others.

We believe that the best way to reopen the Museum is by the strength of the collective. We need individual supporters, like you, and also companies! Collaborate, share the project with your friends and join us in this effort.

The flood problem and the search for solutions

The April 2019 flood was the result of encroaching real estate development authorized by the Rio de Janeiro municipal government in the neighboring region of the Casa do Pontal Museum, Recreio dos Bandeirantes. The new constructions and apartment blocks in the immediate area created higher street levels meaning the Casa do Pontal original house and grounds are now situated below these levels thus dramatically increasing flood risk. A university study by COPPE / UFRJ conducted in 2014 recommended the relocation of the Museum with the construction of a new building on another site.

In 2016 the municipal government recognized its responsibility and ceded a plot of land in Barra da Tijuca region and agreed to securing funds for a new building. The construction of the new Pontal Museum began in June 2016 and was scheduled to end in July 2017. However, with only 5 months left to complete, the project was stalled due to non-payment. Two years ago the municipal government said it would resume construction, but as yet nothing has proceeded.

The recent flood has shown us that we can no longer wait. So we are mobilizing a collective task force to finalize the new building and open the Pontal Museum in its new space.

The last campaign

As widely reported in the national media, in April 2019, the Casa do Pontal Museum was flooded for the sixth time in recent years. The damage caused was immense and put the largest collection of popular folk art in Brazil at risk. What at the time pointed toward an inevitable closure of the Museum, instead became a major campaign raising R$100,000. This enabled us to repair the existing building structure and reopen. An effort mobilized by all those passionate about Brazilian popular culture and folk art. It has been very heartening to see that Brazilians care about their heritage.

In July 2019 we reopened the Museum and already have hundreds of schools visiting and being scheduled. Yet, we remain in a critical situation. The Museum may be flooded again at any time.

Today we are sure that the strength of the collective force that helped to reform and reopen the current Museum will be energized to support the new Pontal Museum building. This will ensure that its collection of more than 9,000 works by 300 artists from 20 Brazilian states will be preserved for future generations.

Transparency in resource management

Donors like to clearly follow how their money has been invested to make sure that it is being used according to the stated purpose. For this reason donations received in the name of completing the physical work of the Casa do Pontal Museum will be deposited in a specific bank account featuring monthly expenditure reports. Donors will be also be able to follow the work being completed via progress reports on the Museum’s website.